Prostate cancer HIFU – is it right for you? Great question!
“Quality of life is just as important as quantity”
I wish I could take credit for that quote, but I can’t. One of my patients who underwent HIFU treatment for prostate cancer told me that. It’s such a simple, perfect statement that really resonates well with men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, you have a lot to think about. I think it’s helpful for you to organize your thoughts and carefully consider the following aspects of each treatment option:
- Logistics – what’s involved in the treatment, including hospital stay vs outpatient, number of treatments, location, cost, etc.?
- Cancer outcome – what does the published literature tell us the likelihood of ‘cure’ with each treatment option? And what would be your treatment options if the cancer recurs, or comes back?
- Treatment-related side effects – what risks or side effects can you expect in terms of your overall health, urinary function, and sexual function?
So how do you know if HIFU is right for you?
HIFU is a non-invasive, ablative therapy for the definitive treatment of localized prostate cancer. You can learn more about how HIFU works HERE. Prostate HIFU is an attractive option for men looking for a solution that provides an excellent cancer treatment while preserving quality of life. You can review extensive published literature on the outcomes with HIFU for prostate cancer HERE. So what do I mean by preserving quality of life? These are some of the quality of life benefits of HIFU:
- Better preservation of erectile function
- Potential preservation of ejaculatory function – i.e.. normal sexual climax.
- Minimal risk of incontinence
- No radiation damage to the bladder or rectum
- No pain.
- Outpatient procedure with nearly immediate recovery